Gate.



M. LUPRETE.

GATE.

APPLIC'AUUN min DEC. 30. 1916.

Patented July 3, 1917.

A oRNEYs.

MICHAEL LOKPBETE, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.'

GATE.

Application led December 30, 1916. Serial No.` 139,744.

To all whom t may concern.'

i Be it known that I, MICHAEL LOPRETE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey,`have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates, of which the following is a specification. A

This invention relates to an improved gate and is designed to provide a gate that gives way to a limited extent when an obstructed object hits it, whereby strain on the gate is minimized, its fastenings can be relieved of a breaking strain and the object encountering the barrier eventually stopped. The gate 1s adapted for various locations and can be adapted to meet varying condi tions, but it is particularly adapted for highways, such as toll gates or the gates used on bridges adjacent to a draw, to block or prevent traiiic from passing beyond a certain point while `the draw isl open. It has been the customvto make these bridges of toggle form and also of a form that swings on one end, the latter being the usual form, and these are fastened in, position by a fixed fastening means, and the gate being stiff, there is a rigid barrier provided. ln such cases, particularly on the gates of ferry boats and on bridges, the fastening is provided by dropping a bar that is arranged so that it slides on the gate into a depression or holein the roadway, and this gives but small purchase, and when a vehicle not nite under control engages such barrier, tbe strain is sullicient sometimes to break the fastenin means or to pull it from its socket, and ysuc broken or displaced fastening means removes all resistance and the barrier no longer acts to stop a moving vehicle.

My improved gate is fastened securely in place, the barrier portion being adapted to be distorted to a limited extent, the barrier` beine' constructed with resilient and flexible members in its structure so that it yields,

thereby submitting the fastening means to a' gradually increasing strain. instead of to' a sudden shock, thus minimizing the chance of breaking such fastening means and thereby providing a barrier not apt to open the the way by reason of a breakage in Lits construction.

\ The invention further resides in a gate,

the barrier of which can be constructed economically, the maintenance of which is com paratively inexpensive on account of the fastening means and the barrier itself being y Specification of Letters Patent.

` Patentedauly 3, 1917.

submitted to great strainsfinstead of sudden shocks, and one in which there is an equal d1str1but1on of the strain irrespective of the location along its length at' which the barrier is encountered by amoving vehicle.

The invention is adapted to be made in many different forms and lndiiferent sizes,

and one swinging gate to cover a Whole roadway or two swingingfgates to abut in the center of the roadwayl can be used, all such constructions being adapted"` for my improved means for minimizing the shock on the barrier. V i

For the purpose of clearly illustrating my invention show one embodiment of the invention in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Figure 1 is a face view of a swinging barrier and its pivotal support, said bar- `rier being fastened at its free end at the center of the roadway to a second swinging barrier, only the outer or swinging end of the latter, howevr, being shown. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view partly in section along line 2&2, in Fig. 1, to illustrate more in detail the construction of the form of barrier shown. Figs.A 3 and 4; are diagrammatic Vviews .showing how the barrier can become -distorted by a strain put on it in the direction of traflic on. the road that the barrier blocks. A

` Many accidents, and some of them fatal,

have resulted by reason of a vehicle, such as an automobile or the like, running into a gate that has'been closed near an open draw, or'by running against a gate on a ferry boat. If the gate is fixed in position it sometimes is able towithstand the shock of the collision, but damage to the vehicle usually results and traffic is blocked. On the other hand, `if a rigid barrier with insecure fastening means is used, the barrier is either bent and twisted by the force of the colli.- sion, or the fastening means is broken, and in the latter event, all resistance to the velhicle gives way and if it has momentum enough -it passes on through the gate and. many fatal accidents have resulted from vehicles running Ainto open draws, or oifthe ends of ferry boats by reason of the break- 4age of such gates.

The form of gate shown is arran ed to `be swung'to close the roadway 10 an prises a barrier l1 which is pivoted at one end as at 12, at its top and bottom portion, to a standard 13,. the details of such pivotal connection, however, being immaterial so it coin- -1 y yielding and resilient means can be long as the te can swing to an'open and closed position,the form of gate illustrated also embodying 'a barrier similar to the barrier 11, such barrier 14 having only its outer or swinging end illustrated, the ends of the barriers being joined in the center of the roadway bly a connection that is preferably pivotal. lie barrier is adapted to be distorted and is made of sections, and these sections maybe of the same length or of different lengths, the illustration showing two sections 15 and 16, the section 15 being longer than the section 16, the section 15 having the tubular part 17 and the tubular part 18, these tubularpaits being horizontal. These sections 17 and 18 are adapted to be moved apart longitudinally and also to swing by reason of a pivotal and resilient connection between them. The sections abut at their respective upright portions 19 and V20, these preferably being made of channel iron as shown in Fig. 2, and a chain 21 or any other similar strand passes through said channel irons and into `the tubular portions 17 and 18, the chains being provided on their ends with eye-bolts 22 and being provided on their ends with abutting or bearing elements, such as the collars 23. The collars 23 fit over the screw-threaded ends 24 of the eye-bolts 22 and are moved along on the threaded ends 24 by the nuts 25. these nuts are screwed up so as to be-moved toward each other, they act to-compress the springs 26, these springs abutting at one end` on thek collars 23 and on their inner ends against thetbinibles 27 or any other suitable form of stop. The springs 26 thus have a tendency to press the abutting parts 19 and together and they thus normally hold the sections of the barrier in proper position and form a substantially stiff barrier which, un der normal conditions, swings as a unit and provides a substantial closurefor the roadway. It will be evident that other forms of employed Vfor holding these sections together,

and I do not wish to ing myself to the particular form `herein two barriers 11 and shown and described.

A pivotal connection for the end of the barrier is shown in Figs.

14 are joined by a fastening comprising a bolt 28 which slides in bearings 29 and which has hooked portions 30 fitting in the knuckles 31 so that when the fact that the hooks 30 and the bolt 28 can bolt .is down' in the position shown in Fig.v 1, the barriers 11 and 14 are held together, but with a pivotal movement between them, such relative pivotal movement being due tothe turn in the bearings 29 and theknuckles 31 respectively. Suitable handles 32 are. provided, these being preferably placed at a divergent angle so that the bolt 28 can be opersection 16 having the pivotally on one another the roadway where When - gate is be understood as limit- 1 and 2 where the further reason that the handles do not interfere with the relative swinging of the sections, as will be hereinafter evident. The upward movement of the bolt is limited by reason of the collar 33, by means of which the handles 32 are fastened to the bolt 28, engaging the upper edge 34 lof a slot in a stiffener plate 35 in the end standard 36 of the barrier 14, when the bolt 28 is moved upward, the lower edge of said slot acting to limit the downward movement of the bolt to revent the hooks 30 from entering too far into the knuckles 31.

The diagrammatic views of Figs.y 3 and 4 illustrate how the gate yieldingly gives way to pressure due to contact by a moving vehicle with the barrier. In Fig. 3 I have shown in dotted outline the normal position of the Y te when it is closed, the barriers 11 and 14 eing substantially full lines I show the gate in the position it would assume when a force is directed cen-- trally on the gate, that is, in the lcenter of come together,

the chain 21 being illustrated to show how the barriers 11 and 14 the sections are permitted to move from eachother longitudinally by reason of the compression of the springs 26 and considerable movement of the gate can thus be made possible since, with such two barriers installed in a roadway 40 feet wide and with springs about 4 feet long in each of the barriersections 15 and 16, the movement of the center of the gate from the dotted' to the full line position in Fig. 3 will amount to about 11 feet, during which time the resistance to the passage of a vehicle colliding with tlie gate slowly increases', the strain on the parts is minimized and made gradual' and an ultimate stopping of the vehicle is probable.

In Fig. 4 tudinally when the force exerted against the adjacent to one edge of the roadway, and with dimensions as hereinbefore set forth and with' the gate distorted as shown in Fig. 4, the movement from the normal closed position of the gate to the point farther from its normal position `amounts to about 10 feet.

I show how the sections can be -moved out of lineand also extended longi.

can, be conwithout` departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: v Y 1. In a gate, a barrier, means for fastening the barrier in closed position, and a resilient means in said barrier for permitting both a. limited lateral and extensible movement ofV the barrier relative to `the fastening means.

2. In a gate, "-a sectional barrier, means for fastening the barrier in closed position, 4

said fastening means being pivotally connected to the-barrier, and a yielding resilient connection between sections of the barrier ltopermit both extension and dstortion of the barrier when a vehicle collides with said barrier. A

3. In a gate, a barrier, said barrier comprising sections connected by flexible, resilient extensible connections, vand means for `fastening the ends of the barrier in closed position. p

4. In a gate, a barrier, said barrier comprising sections connected by flexible resilient extensible connections, and fastening. `means for pivotally fastening the ends of the barrier when'the barrier is in closed position.

sov

separation and pivotal movement betweenthe'ends of the barrier in closed position.

,and the sections lfor sections together.

positions. Y

8. In a gatearba.rriermad`e np of sections,

5. In agate, a barrier' comprising sections adapted to separated longitudinally and i pivotally, a resilient fiexible'connection between th'efsections to permit such` separa` tion, and means ,for securing the barrier closed position. l. Y .v

" Y '6, In a gate,`a`barrier comprising sectionsj adapted tobe` separated longitudinally and. pivotally, fiexble strands connecting saidv sections, and springs abutting on theV strands yieldinglyV holding 'the '7. In a gate, a barrier madeup of sections pivotally connected so that the barrier. can

`be distorted and extended, and resilient connections between the sectionsto yieldingly resist such distortion and extension and to hold'the sections their-@normal relative resilient means for pennittinglongitudinal said sectionswhereby the barriercan be dis'- torted, and f means for `pivotally fastening 9.. 'In a gate, a. barrier comprising sections p connectedby flexible and resilient means tov the adjacent ends di thefsections, and means for pivotally' fastening the ends of the barrier in an approximately xed position.

' 11. In,` agate, a swinging Abarrier cornprisin sectionsfwith tubular parts, a strand exten in into thetubular parts, sprin in the tubu ar parts, collars on the stran for engaging the outer ends ofthe springs, and

stops in the tubular parts against which the springs abut.

"12. In a gate, a barrier-made up of sections, the sections comprising tubular parts and abutting uprights, a` 'chain passing into the tubular arts, eye-bolts on the ends of the chain, coil e e-b,olts and' springs interp t ecollars and the .uprights 113.. In al te, barriersadapted to swing to closed position withy their outer ends ladbetween jacent to eachV other, `thefbarriers being 1 formed vof sections. with flexible; resilient ars adjustablyarran ed on the and 'yielding connectionswhereby Vthe barriers are subjectfto distortion, and a fastening means connecting the barriers and forming pivotal connection between them.

14. In a ga to closed" position with their outer ends adjacent to each other, Vthe barriers being formed of sections with iiexible resilient and yielding connections whereby the barriersl are subject to distortion, a. sliding bolt on one barrier, said bolt having a hook thereon, and a knuckle, on lthe second barrier to Vre` 'ceive the hook.

l'In testimonyT lthat I Vclaim the foregoing, .I'hereto set my hand, this 28th1day of Def cember, 1916.

MICHAEL LOPRETE.

te, barriers adapted to swing` 

